Electrical connector having combination cable and bolt seal

Abstract

A sealed electrical connector has an annular elastomeric seal pad which seals the openings of the terminal cavities as well as a bolt hole at the cable end of the connector. The seal pad is disposed in a well formed by an integral shroud of the connector body and the bolt hole extends through a bolt tower of the connector body which projects into the well.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In a sealed electrical connector having a connector body which has a contact end and a cable end, the connector body having a plurality of terminal cavities which house terminals attached to electrical cables which extend out of openings at the cable end of the connector body and the connector body having a bolt hole which extends through the connector body from the contact end to the conductor end, the improvement comprising: the connector body having an integral shroud at the cable end which provides a well which surrounds the openings of the terminal cavities and the bolt hole   the connector body further having an integral bolt tower at the cable end which projects in the well and through which the bolt hole extends, and   an annular elastomeric seal pad which is disposed in the well in sealing engagement with an internal wall of the shroud and an external wall of the bolt tower,   the annular seal pad having a plurality of sealing apertures which extend through the seal pad for receiving and sealing around the electrical cables which extend out of the openings of the terminal cavities at the cable end of the conductor body, and   the seal pad having an annular seal lip which surrounds and extends above the bolt tower for sealing against a shoulder of a bolt when the bolt is disposed in the bolt hole and tightened down.   
     
     
       2. An improved sealed electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the annular elastomeric seal pad has a main body of substantially rectangular cross section and the annular seal lip is raised up from the main body portion so as to act substantially independently of the sealing ribs and the sealing apertures. 
     
     
       3. An improved sealed electrical connector as defined in claim 2 wherein the bolt tower has a height which is greater than the height of the main body of the annular seal pad so as to limit compression of the annular seal lip. 
     
     
       4. An improved sealed electrical connector as defined in claim 3 wherein a bolt is disposed and retained in the bolt hole by a retainer so that the bolt retains the annular seal pad in assembly with the connector body during handling of the electrical connector.